AN ENLIGHTENED PHILOSOPHY

ANENLIGHTENEDPHILOSOPHYCANANATHEISTBELIEVEANYTHING?

PresentationofthebookbyGeoffCrocker

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AnEnlightenedPhilosophy

OVERVIEW–AFRESHSYNTHESIS

• Postmodernityincrisis• BraveNewWorldandNICEdecadeover

• Bankscollapsing,consumerandgovernmentdebtleadingtoeconomiccuts

• Enlightenmentscepticismbecomesmilitantatheism

• Staleconfrontationbetweenatheismandreligionneedsafreshsynthesis• Contemporarythinkingtorecognisemetaphysicalhumanreality

• Religiontorecognisethestrengthofmythtofeedsocialmeta‐narrativeandpersonalvalues

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WHYPEOPLEDON’TBELIEVE1:CREATION,COMPLEXITY,DARWINANDDAWKINS

• Natureiswondrousbutalsohostileanddestructive

• CharlesDarwinchallengescreationismwithevolution–thefossilrecordshowsspeciesarenotimmutable

• WilliamPaley’swatchmakerargumentchallengedby• DavidHumeredysfunctionalityinnature

• andisGodonlyadesigner?

• RichardDawkins’argumentthatcomplexitycanevolvewithoutdesign

• RichardDawkins’militantatheismin‘TheGodDelusion’

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DARWININMOREDETAIL

• Darwin’stheoryrestson8assumptions

• prolificreproductionofspecies• 2elephantswouldproduce15melephantsin500years

• –Malthuspart1

• aresourceconstraint• prolificpopulationgrowthexceedsresourcesnecessaryforlife

• –Malthuspart2

• mutation• Darwinconsideredmutationtobeentirelyrandom

• –Lamarckthoughtitwasledbyhabitat

• inheritance• Darwinthoughtinheritanceofcharacteristicsandmutationstobeby

‘blending’

• –aweakpointinhistheory

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DARWININMOREDETAIL

• naturalselection• thiscouldbebyclimate,foodresourceconstraint,catastrophe,invasionor

predation–Darwinappearstofavourpredation

• geographicisolation• Darwinthoughtthisassumptionwasunnecessary

• butwithoutitmutationswouldcanceloutifinheritanceisbyblending

• cumulativeenhancement• bestmutationscumulate,butisthisrandom?

• time• Darwinsaid300myearsbuttheassumptionisoftenbillionsofyears

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PROBLEMSWITHDARWINISM1:PROBLEMSIDENTIFIEDBYDARWIN

• PROBLEMTherearenotransitionalformsinthefossilrecordANSWERThefossilrecordisincomplete

• PROBLEMNaturalselectionproduceseclecticoutcomesANSWER?

• PROBLEMHowcaninstinctsevolvebynaturalselection?ANSWER‘Icanseenodifficulty’

• PROBLEMTheprogenyofcrossedspeciesareinfertileegthemuleANSWER‘noexplanationisoffered’

• PROBLEMAltruismANSWERAgreedandnearlycausedDarwintoabandonhistheory

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PROBLEMSWITHDARWINISM2:CONTEMPORARY19THCENTURYCRITIQUE

• RichardOwen(Darwincalledhim‘ourgreatestpalaeontologist’)pointedout

• Alternativetheoriesegsaltation,orthogenesis,prematurebirthdeviationshouldbeconsideredalongsideDarwiniannaturalselection

• NottrueforDarwintosaythat‘allthemosteminentpalaeontologistsmaintainedtheimmutabilityofthespecies’

• Nottruethateveryoneconsideredthat‘eachspecieswasindependentlycreated’Manycontemporaryscientistsacceptedmutationbutnotnaturalselection

• Darwin’smechanismshouldbeexplainedingreaterdetail–theclaimedevolutionofnotonecontemporaryspeciesisfullyexplained

• Anindefinitetimeassumptionwillallowanytheory!

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PROBLEMSWITHDARWINISM3:FURTHERISSUES

• Overproductionofspecies• Notnecessarilytrueeghumancontraception

• egpreyedspeciespopulationsinequilibrium

• Mutation• Randomratherthanadaptivemutationwouldtakelongertoleadtoevolution

• Saltationsareobserved

• Inheritance• Blendingwouldcanceloutmutations

• Gradualcumulativeenhancement• Alongseriesofcumulativerandommutationsmatchedwithrandomcontexts

isneeded–eglightsensitiveskinmutationhassomeadvantage,mateswithothers,mutatesversion2,mateswithothers,mutatesversion3etctotheeye?

• It’sanideabutthere’snodata,egthegiraffeneck

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PROBLEMSWITHDARWINISM3:FURTHERISSUES

• Naturalselection• Mutationisrandombutselectionbyalogic?Otherpermutationspossible.

• Famouschallengeoftautologynotfullyanswered

• –noindependentcriteriaoffitness

• Testabilityandirrefutability• FailsKarlPopper’stestforascientificmethodology

• (Popperlaterrecantsthischallenge)

• Alternativescenariostoevolutionnotconsidered• egextinction,proliferation,equilibrium

• egmoregeneralrandom,prolific,constrainedmutationoradaptivemutation

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PROBLEMSWITHDARWINISM4:THEPROBLEMSOFINHERITANCEANDALTRUISM‐THE20thCENTURYNEODARWINISMSYNTHESIS

• INHERITANCE• Mendel’sworkonpeasshowedtheeffectofdominantgenessavedDarwinism

fromitsproblemof‘blending’inheritancecancellingoutmutations

• ALTRUISM• WDHamiltonproposedthat

• onlyrelativesbehavealtruisticallytowardseachother

• thisisbecauserelativesbearthesamegene

• hencethetheoryof‘theselfishgene’• RichardDawkinsappropriatedanddisseminatedHamilton’stheory

RESULT=CURRENTDARWIN/MENDEL/HAMILTONSYNTHESIS

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BUT

• Hamilton’stheory=mathematicalmodel:noempiricalstudythat• relativescarrythesamegene

• relativeshavesomemechanismforrecognition

• altruismorcooperativebehaviourisalwaysdiscriminatorytowardsrelatives

• Hamiltonwasadeterminedeugenicistandhadastrongperverseagenda

SO

• Moreuncertaintypersiststhanisclaimed

• NeoDarwinistbiologyassumesspeciesseektomaximisequantitativereproduction–butthisisclearlynottrueofthehumanspecies

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PROBLEMSWITHDARWINISM4:THEPROBLEMSOFINHERITANCEANDALTRUISM‐THE20thCENTURYNEODARWINISMSYNTHESIS


PROBLEMSWITHDARWINISM5:POSSIBLE(BUTNOTNECESSARY)IMPLICATIONS

• ThereisnoGod–Dawkins’‘GodDelusion’

• Thereisthereforenoexogenousmoralcodeforhumanity

• Thereisthereforenoroleinsocietyforchurch,mosqueortemple

• Thereisnopurposeinlife• Superiorhumanraceswill/shouldcompeteagainstinferiorracestoeliminatethem

• Humaneugenicsprogrammesshouldbeimplemented

• Humansocietyshouldfavouratopperformingelite

• Humaneconomiclifeshouldbeunfetteredcompetitivefreemarketcapitalism

• Thereshouldbenosocialwelfareprogrammes

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WHYPEOPLEDON’TBELIEVE2:CONTEMPORARYPHILOSOPHERS

• TerryEagleton• DawkinsandHitchensshouldcritiquescienceandmodernityastheydoreligion

• JohnLennox• Rationalityand‘irreduciblecomplexity’innaturearguefordesign

• SimonBlackburn• DismissesphilosophicalargumentsforexistenceofGod

• AndreComte‐Sponville• Can’tacceptaGodwho‘abandonsgazellestotigersandchildrentocancer’

• JulianBaggini

• JohnHumphrys• BBCradiointerviewswithUKArchbishopofCanterbury,ChiefRabbi,andMoslem

leaderfailtoconvinceontheexistenceofGodandthesufferingofchildren

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WHYPEOPLEDON’TBELIEVE3:THEHISTORYOFRELIGION

• DiarmaidMcCulloch• Judicialburningaliveofclergyandlaityofdifferentpersuasions• TortureofFrenchHuguenots• AnabaptistsdrownedinriverLimmat

• CalvinagreedtoServetus’executioninGeneva–noobjectiontotheburning• TyndalehungforhisEnglishBible

• Catholic/ProtestantviolenceinNorthernIreland1915,1968

• Hostilityofcurrentchurchdisputesegovergender

• Muhammed’smassacreofBanuQurayzaJewsAD627

• Hindu/MoslemviolenceatpartitionofIndia1947

• Hindu/MoslemviolencedestructionofmosqueatAyodhya1992

• Religionmoreoftenbellicosethanpacific14


WHYPEOPLEDON’TBELIEVE4:TECHNOLOGYISGOD?

• Contraceptivetechnology,fertilitytechnology,medicaltechnologydeterminelife

• Technologyinterfacesbetweenhumanityandtheprovidenceandthehostilityofnature

• Healthoutcomesonbalancegreatlyimproved

• Technologyhasovercomebubonicplague:Goddidn’t

• Technologyhasdrivenproductivityandlifestyle:notGod

• Istechnologynowincontrol,anunstoppableprocess?egHeidegger,Carson

• Whoeverhasthebesttechnologywinsinbattle–mightisright

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GLOBALDISTINCTIVES

• Europeancynicism• Lowchurchattendance

• Cartesiandoubtrules• Devastationof2continentalwars

• Holocaust• Separationofchurchandculture

• Americanbelieverism• Separationofchurchandstate• Creative,entrepreneurialsociety• Lessrelianceonhistoricinstitutions

• Asianreligion• Holisticaspectoflife• Intellectualdoubtlessrelevant

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AHOLISTICHISTORYOFHUMANITY• Greekphilosophy–Platonicsuperiorityofmind/spiritoverbody/emotion

• Romanempire–carnalcarnival

• HunsandDarkAges–physicalityanddarkspirituality

• Enlightenment–re‐assertionofdominanceofrationalityandmindoverbody/emotion• C16thcentury‐Copernicus,Galileo,Kepler• C17thcentury‐Descartes,Spinoza,Locke,Newton,Leibniz,Vico

• C18thcentury‐Voltaire,Hume,Diderot,Rousseau,LaMettrie,d’Holbach,Kant,Hegel

• Enlightenment=methodology,notcontent;aprocess,notaconclusion• Anthropocentricworldview

• Physicalism

• Endogenousmetaphysics

• Humanconsciousness

• Reason• Reasonableness

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ENLIGHTENMENTISSUES • Cause,choiceandchance

• Reason≠Reasonable

• Adeterministicorstochasticworld?

• Newton’sforce,Maxwell’sfield,Popper’spropensitythemselvesunexplained

• Whatdeterminesoutcomesintheuniverse/inlife?• Competitivecapability

• Chance• Cause,logicanalysis• Power

• Desireandchoice• Thestatusquo

• TheGoldilocksEnigma

• Islogic,ismathematicsexogenous,mind‐independent?

• Ifso,how????18


THECHURCHINMODERNITY

• Evangelicaldoctrinal

• Charismaticphenomenological

• Catholicritual

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TOWARDSASYNTHESIS

• Physicalismandincarnation

• Thesoul–notsoimportantwhetherseparateornot

• Thedivine–ifGoddoesn’texist,thenspecifyadivine(Voltaireparaphrased)

• Myth–thesignificanceofstrongmyth

• Foundationsforasocialmeta‐narrative

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THESOURCEOFVIRTUE?

• egWhencemercy?

• AnexternalGodwhoismercy,whoownsandoffersmercy?

• Arandommutation,enhancingfitnessforcompetitivesurvival?• Ormaybeaneutral‘exaptation’?

• Ormaybeinferiorforsurvivaltoamutationformercilessbehaviour?

• Anindependentmetaphysic?

• Acognitivehumannotion?Achoicetodeifymercy?

• Wemaynotknow,wemayneverknow,butdoesitmatterforouroptions?

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THESOURCEOFVICE?

• egWhencehatred?

• AnexternalDevilwhoishate,andoffershate?Backtodualism

• Arandommutation,enhancingfitnessforcompetitivesurvival?• Ormaybeaneutral‘exaptation’?

• Ormaybeinferiorforsurvivaltoamutationfornon‐hatebehaviour?

• Anindependentmetaphysic?

• Acognitivehumannotion?Achoicetodemonisehate?

• Wemaynotknow,wemayneverknow,butdoesitmatterforouroptions?

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ANDRECOMTE‐SPONVILLE‘ASHORTTREATISEONTHEGREATVIRTUES’

• Politeness

• Fidelity

• Prudence

• Temperance

• Courage

• Justice

• Generosity

• Compassion

• Mercy

• Gratitude

• Humility

• Simplicity

• Tolerance

• Purity

• Gentleness

• Goodfaith

• Humour

• Love


JUSTICE

• Judaic/Christianfocusissocialjustice–akingdomofjustice

• Isaiah42/61‘hewillmakejusticeshineonthenations,neverfaltering,neverbreakingdown,hewillplantjusticeonearth’

• Matthew5‘blessedarethosewhohungerandthirstafterjustice’

• EnglishBiblerenderingof‘righteousness’forHebrew‘tsedeq’andGreek‘dikaiosune’createssacred/seculardivide

• it’sequallyrendered‘justice’

• FrenchandGermanlanguagesdon’thavethisdivideeg‘lajustice’,‘dieGerechtigkeit’

• socontinentalEuropeantheologicalthinkingmoresociallyrelevant

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JUSTICE

• Justiceapre‐requisiteleadingtopeace• Psalm85‘justiceandpeacehavekissedeachother’• Isaiah32‘theresultofjusticewillbepeace’• Malachi4‘thesunofjusticewillarisewithhealinginhiswings’

• Butjusticeisundefinable!• JohnRawls‘maximin’principleofdistributivejustice• RobertNozick,IsaiahBerlin,AmartyaSen’sflute

• Justiceneedspartners–mercy,truth,generosity,wisdom

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LOVE

• 1Corinthians13OdetoLove

• Godislove,Godsolovestheworld,greatestcommandmentislove,lovedrivesoutfearetc

• Makelovedivine–evenforatheism

• AndersNygren‘AgapeandEros’

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MARKET• Thedivinedoctrineofthefreemarket–omniscient,omnipotentandsoonomnipresent

• Buttechnicalmarketfailures• monopoly

• information,pricesignalsetc

• externalitiesegecology

• Andmoralquestions• Shouldcognitivehumanityhandovereconomicresponsibilitytothemarket

artefact?

• Whatis‘free’aboutmarketandforwhom?

• Christfamouslydrovethemarketoutofthetemple

• ‘Gettheseoutofhere!Howdareyouturnmyfather’shouseintoamarket’

• Nodoctrinehere,butapowerfulmythforsocialmeta‐narrative

• Aprimeexampleofthesynthesisof‘AnEnlightenedPhilosophy’27


INSTITUTIONS

• Institutions–masterorservant?

• Thelaw,marriage,family,democracy,themarketthestate,thechurch,trafficrules

• Thesoftware,enablinghumanlife

• Buttheyfailtoadaptandevolvesoeitherwitherordominateandtrap

• TheSabbathwasaprimeinstitutioninChrist’stime

• BeingchallengedabouteatingfromacornfieldontheSabbath,hesaid‘ManwasnotmadefortheSabbath,buttheSabbathforman’

• Institutionsshouldserveratherthanrule

• Again,nodoctrinehere,butaprofoundcontributiontosocialphilosophy

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THEROLEOFTHESTATE

• USsmallstate,USSRtotalitarianstate,Europedirigistestate,Africatribalstate,Asiasociety‐state

• OnbeingchallengedtopaytaxtotheoccupyingRomanstateChristsaid‘RendertoCaesarthethingsthatareCaesar’s,andtoGodthethingsthatareGod’s’

• Again,nodoctrinehere,buthugepoliticalphilosophy

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THEPOWEROFMYTH

• Myth–andresurrection

• Myth–andtheTrinity• Contemplate‘ThegraceoftheLordJesusChrist,andtheloveofGod,andthe

fellowshipoftheHolySpiritbewithyouall’

• Anewanddifferentandmoremeaningfulinterpretationoftrinity

• Notasdoctrine,notasliteralism,butasmeaning

• Myth–andsiblingrivalry• ForCain,jealousyledtohatredledtomurderofhisbrotherAbel

• GodchallengesCainthatthereisabetterway–ieofselfrespect

• Notadoctrinebutapowerfulmythaboutaprevalenthumanissue

• Myth–andfear• Phobiasabound• But‘perfectlovecastsoutfear’–auniversalprincipleavailabletoall

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THEBLESSEDLIFE–OLDTESTAMENT

TheLordismyshepherd,Ishallnotbeinwant

Hemakesmeliedowningreenpastures

Heleadsmebesidequietwaters

Herestoresmysoul

Heguidesmeinpathsofjusticeforhisname’ssake

EventhoughIwalkthroughthevalleyoftheshadowofdeathIwillfearnoevil

Foryouarewithme,yourrodandyourstafftheycomfortme

Youprepareatablebeforemeinthepresenceofmyenemies

Youanointmyheadwithoil,mycupoverflows

Surelygoodnessandlovewillfollowmeallthedaysofmylife

AndIwilldwellinthehouseoftheLordforever

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THEBLESSEDLIFE–NEWTESTAMENT

Blessedarethepoorinspiritfortheirsisthekingdomofheaven

Blessedarethosewhomournfortheyshallbecomforted

Blessedarethemeekfortheyshallinherittheearth

Blessedarethosewhohungerandthirstforjusticefortheywillbefilled

Blessedarethemercifulfortheyshallbeshownmercy

BlessedarethepureinheartfortheyshallseeGod

BlessedarethepeacemakersfortheywillbecalledsonsofGod

Blessedarethosewhoarepersecutedbecauseofjusticefortheirsisthekingdomofheaven

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• Anexcitingbook• Breakingnewground

• Breakingthestaleconfrontationbetweenatheismandreligionwithanewsynthesis

• Offersafreshinterpretationofreligionasstrongmythwhichcreatespersonalandsocialvalues

• Contemporaryatheism,whilstavalidhypothesis,destroysasourceofvalueswithoutofferinganyalternative

• Theresultismoralnihilismandamaterialistselfcentredsocietywhichcanonlybelabelled‘consumersociety’

• Thisismuchlessthanafullunderstandingofhumanlifeandsociety

• Tracesthedevelopmentofphilosophytoanatheistposition

• Arguesthatmetaphysicalconceptsareessentialtohumanlifeandareanaspectoffaith

• Proposesareinterpretationofthereligioustextsasmyth,offeringawiderangeofexamplesonthemesofjustice,love,themarket,theroleofthestate,fear,resurrectionandsiblingrivalry

• Appealsbothtosecularistswhoarelookingforanavailable,accessibleandbelievableinterpretationoffaith,andtoChristianswhoarekeentopresentamorerelevantinterpretationoffaithtothecontemporaryworld

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Endorsements‐1

GeoffCrockerseekstosteerapathwaybetweentraditionaltheisticreligionandothernon‐rationalisticapproacheswhilstrefusingtosettleforthenihilismandamoralityimplicitinmuchpostmoderncultureandthought.Heseesusefulnessinclassicalreligiousmythstoaugmentapurerationalism,providingenrichmentandsustenancetothehumansearchforvalueandethics.HiscriticismsoftheChurchmaybebruisingforsomeChristianstoread,buthisargumentalsocutsinanoppositedirectiontochallengeavalue‐freepostmodernismorneo‐rationalismandtheirapplicationin'theMarket'andpopularattitudestomoraldiscourse.Hereisanewandclearvoiceinpopularphilosophywhichdeservesahearingbyreligiousandnon‐religiousreadersseekingtomakesenseofourworldtoday.

PaulRoberts,DeanofNon‐residentialTraining,StMichael'sCollege,Llandaff,Cardiff

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Endorsements‐2

Thisisabooktoleaveyoureeling,provoked‐andhopeful.GeoffCrockerembracesthedeathofGod,butnotthesimplisticmantrasofDawkins‐style'new'atheism.Advocatingnothinglessthanasynthesisofthesacredandthesecular,hefindsadivinepowerinreligiousmythevenwhenitssupernaturalcontentisstrippedaway.Makenomistake:thisbookpullsnopunchesinitscritiqueofthechurch,andmanywillwanttoarguewithitsboldclaims.Butultimatelythisisaworkofprofoundlyspiritualhope,nothinglessthanaphilosophyoflifefordisenchantedtimes.

StevenShakespeare,LecturerinPhilosophy,LiverpoolHopeUniversity

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Endorsements‐3

GeoffCrockerbringsafreshvoicetotheGoddebate,arguingthatBiblicalmythologyandcriticalthinkingneednotbeenemies.Eloquentandpersuasive.

DavidBoulton,Authorof'TheTroublewithGod'and'WhoonEarthwasJesus?'

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AN ENLIGHTENED PHILOSOPHY

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